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The Trump Administration has rolled back the size of two national monuments in Utah, Bear's Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante.
As initially delegated as monuments by the Obama Administration, the landmarks covered an area nearly the size of Connecticut.
The reduction in the monuments' size will allow for more drilling for domestic oil and natural gas -- two industries we have long noted are pivotal to stabilizing affordability for American employers and American families. The change still preserves hundreds of thousands of acres of wilderness.
"We believe that under the Antiquities Act, it's very clear that these monument designations are supposed to be the smallest area possible to protect the antiquities, and these multimillion-acre monuments that are bigger than the state of Delaware certainly do not fit that designation," Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, who joined Trump at the signing event on Monday, said, according to The Guardian.
We agree that initiatives like the designation of national monuments and parks need to be balanced and crafted with a respect for the nuances that, as important as environmental preservation may be, the abilities of Americans to work, support their families and create economic opportunity are important as well.
We would go so far as to argue that Americans who are confident in their job prospects and that a decent quality of life will be attainable by their children and grandchildren are more apt to support other, reasonable endeavors to protect our natural world.
We agree with the Trump Administration's decision on these monuments and we hope the White House continues to work on energy independence and affordability.